Photo by Sher Yip

Prix fixe dinners are becoming trendy in Morgantown now (though this culinary trend hit a level of popularity years ago elsewhere). A prix fixe dinner is a meal of several courses served at a fixed price. Many of these dinners have either wine or beer pairings.

Photo by Sher Yip

Just a few days ago, I went to Terra Cafe's Chestnut Brew Works Beer Pairing Dinner. I typically shy away from many prix fixe dinners unless I know the chef is going to bring it -- because it's already going to be pricy, and sometimes my bank account can't take that gamble. But with Terra Cafe and Chestnut Brew Works, I knew this meal would be nothing short of awesome. And, with a $45 price tag, I couldn't pass it up.

Vicki, Steve, Lisa and I made reservations for the six-course meal. It sold out pretty quickly! When we arrived, we were seated at table 26 and, before long, we got started. Terra Cafe's Head Chef Lauren Hartman and Chestnut Brew Works' Owner and Head Brewer Bill Rittenour began the evening with a thanks, and Lauren talked a bit broadly about beer pairing dinners, noting that there are two ways to do it: Either coincide with the flavors within each beer or go the opposite way. Because each Chestnut Brew Works beer encompasses so many wonderful flavors, she took the former route. Then, the duo introduced each course and the beer paired with it.

Photo by Sher Yip

First course:

Your Best Hoption paired with Fruit and Coconut Sushi with creme anglaise, peanut coconut sauce, blueberry sauce, and cloudberry champagne sauce.
These sauces were so killer. I love the diversity. Don't love the peanut coconut sauce? Try the blueberry. Or the creme anglaise. I loved every one, and I thought it had this fantastical element with that cloudberry champagne sauce. Pair the super sweet with super hoppy, and it works.

Great flavors, great beers with some great people. Couldn't have asked for a better Thursday evening.

The space previously housed the Glasshouse Grille, which was a culinary pioneer in Morgantown. And the Seneca Center itself has a storied history in the town, as well. Perks: Lots of parking, right in town, a beautiful space and ... some delicious food. Cons: My bank account is going to be sad.

The Hill & Hollow space remains largely unchanged, save for light fixtures and some personal touches, due to the historical nature of the building. But, I want to stress the point that while Hill & Hollow serves incredibly good, artisan food, it's not so much "fine dining" to me because it's not stuffy. It's inventive, it's creative, it's unlike anything you can get in this town - or state - but it's not pretentious. If anything, it's the punk rock version of a fine dining restaurant, I think.

The menu, which changes often and in accordance to the season, began with some classics as Chef Ohlinger got into the groove and secured more local ingredients - meaning the menu available when I dined is unlikely to be the same one you'll get to try.

The menu was incredible, as always. Friends at the table got the Sonoran pumpkin soup with chorizo, the beef fillet medallions with smoked huitlacoche butter and others. I started my meal with an order of grilled yam and apple cakes with a lime molasses drizzle. While, yes, it probably appeals to the vegetarians in the group, I can tell you I enjoyed it - even as an omnivore. I especially liked the pieces with extra crispy edges that gave some nice texture variation. It was sweet and comforting - while still being a brand new flavor.

Entrees available included a bison meatloaf with fresh ketchup and miso mashers, rainbow trout with wasabi remoulade, seared duck breast with cherry butter demi, prime Brazillian-cut loin steak with Yucatan spice rub and avocado butter, and free-range beef tenderloin with roasted onion-morel flan. For my dinner, I chose the fresh herb and spinach risotto with buttermilk ricotta for with seared Maine Diver scallops.

This is tough, because so many entrees sounded delicious. But it's hard for me to ever say no to scallops. The risotto was very fresh, very green. Scallops delicious. I snuck a taste of onion-morel flan and mmmmmm. I can't wait to go back and try all the other dishes, too.

Oh, and dessert. Chef Ohlinger stopped by and admitted dessert isn't so much his thing. He has folks for that. He, himself, prefers whiskey.

Well, I prefer this incredible cheesecake served with these shards of sugar and looking like a scoop of ice cream. My god was this good.

This didn't even take into consideration the craft cocktails the bar is whipping up - which look pretty damn good. And, check out his Global Dinner Series (here's the latest I've written about). Those are always a fun time to try something a litter different.

Stay tuned for a full story about Chef Ohlinger and his new restaurant for Taste! WV Magazine.

Grade: A